Motion-picture-projecting machine



Jan.3,192s. A 1,655,297

- J. E. THORNTON MOTION PICTURE PROJBCTING MACHINE Filed Fem 1, 192'? 2 sheets-sheer 1 .E l i I s a g 2 I I @A Z E e y 4 J. E. THORNTON MOTION PICTURE' PROJECTING MACHINE Filei Feb. 1. 1927l 2 sheets-sheet. 2 V.

u1u n o n n n u n o mannose:

DCICIDDDD Patented Jan. 3, 1928.. Y A

UNITEDv STATES PATENTv OFFICEe TOEN EDWARD THORNTON, OF i.VEST HAMPSTEAD, LONDON, ENGLAND.

MOTION -PICTURE-PROJECTIN G MACHINE.

Application filed February 1, 1927, Serial No. 165,228, and in Great Britain December 11, 1925.

This invention relates to improvements in motionv picture projecting machines, one object of the invention being the provision of a means whereby it is rendered unnecessary to feed the film through the film-advancing mechanism and loop-forming portion of the projector, there being provided a leader strip which is attached to the reel and of sufficient length to project through the filmadvancing means and the loop-forming portion so that'it is only necessary to connect the film that is t'obe run through the proector to said leader strip, the reel-on reel eing permanently mounted within Athey projector.

In the existing styles of apparatus, and

practically all makes thereof, it is usual practice to first insert the spool carrying its store of Alm in the apparatus, to then draw oli' a portion of the film and thread it through the mechanism over, under, or?

around the various toothed sprockets and guide or pressure rollers, through the gate, and finally t0 attach it to the receiving reel, and to so adjust the length of lm that a pair of free loops, each of the correct length, islformed, one above and one below the gate. This lengthy operation has to be carried out with care and precision, and has to be repeated each time the apparatus is re-loaded with a fresh supply of film. It it also-the. usual practice to detach and remove both the reel and spool, as well as the film, after use and to putin a new reel and spool prior to repeating the threading processes.

According to the invention," the apparatus is fitted with arotary reel which is permanently located within the casing instead of being detachable and removable, as is the usual practice. To this reel is permanently fastened one end of a leader strip, which strip is of sufficient length to reach from the reel'through the necessary film guide and feeding mechanism to. form the necessary loops and present its end for connection to` the end of the film which, in turn, is carried by the-usual removable spool. By this means, it is unnecessary toproduce the loops in the film by hand, as isi the usual practice, and as this apparatus comes with the leader strip already positioned, an amateur can 'operate the machine with very little instruction.

A similar leader, strip is also aflixed at at one end to the loose spool and the film is joined at one end to the spool-'leader and at the other end to the reel-leader so that the three parts form one line of strips as a continuous tape attached at one end to the loose spool and at the other end to the perinanently fixed reel.

The two parts are connected together by any suitable convenient fastener, such as spring clip, hook, eye, button, key-slot, or thev like, which will allow the parts to be quickly and reliably connected and easily disconnected. y

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings Fig. l is a -diagrammatic side view showing the permanently fixed reel with its leader strip attached to the end of the lilm wound on the spool.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the perinanently fixed reel, the reel leader, the film, and the loose spool.

vFig. 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 showing a film leader permanently attached to the end of the film.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the loose spool, loose-spool leader, film cemented to the loose spool leader and permanent reel.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Figure 4 but showing the film detachably connected to the loose spool leader.

Figs. 6 and 7; Figs. 8, 9, l0 and 11; Figs. l2 and 13; and Figs. 14 and l5 illustrate different ways of attaching the end of the film to the leader strip.

The kinematograph projector, camera or printing apparatus is provided with a winding-on-reel A permanently located in the apparatus. 'A leader strip B sufficiently long to extend through the feed mechanism of the machine is permanently fastened at one end to a reel A which preferably is permanently fixed to the winding shaft of the l .55 ings are necessary.

rial of sufficient strength, such as a double or triple layer of paper or paper and linen or hlm-material combined and e preferably is treated to-malre it fire-proof.

Thus when the filmC is joined at one end to the spool-leader B1 and at the other end to the reel leader B, the three parts formone continuous tape attached at one end 'to the spool and at the other end to the permanently fixed reel A.

As shown in Fig. 1, the winding-on reel leader B is made of sufficient length to reach from the permanently fixed reel A through the sprocket wheels e, gate E and sprocketl wheels elnof the apparatus yto the spool D and `also to allow the necessary slack or surplus to form the usual loops b, b between the .gate and the feed sprockets.

When the reel A and the leader-strip B are mounted in the apparatus, the leader strip is threaded in the usual way over the sprocket wheels e, through the gate E and over the sprocket wheels e1, a loop b being formed between the sprockets e and the gate E, and a second loop ZJ being formed be' tween the gate E and the sprockets el. The reel A after once being placed need not be removed from the apparatus.

The spool leader strip B1 is affixed at one end to the spool D in any usual way and at the other end is attached to the film C.

' In operation, when the free end of the reel-leader B is connected to the film and the machine set into motion, the leader-str1p itself will soon pass completely out of the `sprocket e', gate mechanism E, and sprocket e and wind on to the .reel A; the film C itself follows and eventually also finds its way to the reel A. But during the whole of these operations the loops b, b1 are maintained whatever part ofthe strip happens to be in position at the gate.

l When the film C has been run through the apparatus and the spool-leader B1 appears in the apparatus the motion is reversed and the film C is wound back on its original spool D following the spool-leader B1 in the process, and finally bringing the reelleader B back into the apparatus with the loops b, b1 still maintained as before. The film is then detached from the reel-leader B whereupon the spool D can be removed an` another spool and film substituted so that, after ythe first threading, no further threadhe film C may be attached directly to the reel-leader strip B as shown in Fig. 2 or indirectly by a film leader strip c cemented on to the end ofthe film C as. shown in Fig. 3. Any suitable fastening device may be employed for attaching the film C or leader strip 0 to the leader-strip B. A number of suitable fastening devices by which the films are joined are illustrated in Figs. 6 to 15 of the drawings, but the invention is in no way limited to such Adevices and any other form of fastening device may be employedas is found desirable.

In the form shown in Figs. 6 and 7 two holes b2 are formed in the end of the leaderstrip B and two corresponding holes 02 in the end of the film C, the two ends being joined to ether by a wire staple c passed through t e holes.- .a

A Ashown in Figures 1, 2 and ,3, a T- shaped tongue c3 is formed upon the leader B, while the T-shaped aperture b3 is formed upon the film, the same being assembledas shown in Figure 1 to connect the two together.

' In the form shown in Figs. 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11 a substantially T-shaped tongue c3 is formed on the end of the film and a substantially T-shaped aperture b3 is formed in the end of the leader-strip B the two being joined together by inserting the tongue 08 in the aperture b3.

In the 'form shown in Figs. 12 and 13 a of the leader-strip B by turnni'g the end of the latter over said wire and cementing it to the strip, the end of the film C being also bent over and cemented to form eyes 06 to receive the ends be of the wire b5 which are sprung into the eyes to attach the film to the leader. j y j Inthe form shown in Figs. 14 and 15 hinge members are'formed by bending over the endof the leader B and loop o7 thereon and by bending over the end of the film C to form two loops 07, the loop b? fitting between the loop c7 and hinged together by the pintle 01.'

Any other'form of fastening device may be employed but such device should be thin, flexible, and easilyvoperated. v

Usually there is no need for a fastener at the removable spool, as the film C canbe permanently cemented to the leader B1 as in Fig.'4 ora film leader c1 can be cemented tol the spool leader B1 since the spool is remov-V able fromthe apparatus. If desired, however, a fastening device, such as employed for affixing the film to the winding-on reell f leader, may be used for attaching the film to Athe spool leader.

The invention 1s useful in all projectors lwhere it is customary to rewind the film through the apparatus after each exhibit.

What I claim as my invention and desire v to protect by Letters Patent is In a motion picture projecting machine,`a permanently mounted rotating wheel, a detachable spool and film-advancing and loopforming means interposed between the reel and spool, and a lm attaching and guiding leader strip attached permanently at one end to the permanentreel and of sufhcient length y to reach throughand be threaded through or detached remains connected to the reel and beyond the film-advancing and loopand in the film-advancng'and loop-forming forming means to thus form the necessary means of the machine. I 10 loops, and means upon Ithe free end thereof In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 5 for attachment to the film to be fed through my hand.

the projecting machine, whereby the leader Strip, When the lm is either being attached JOHN EDVARD THORNTON. 

